Saints Depth Chart 2013

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; Originally Posted by nycsaintfan
Jeanpierre, very strong words.
I agree 100% with your thoughts on the first round selections. We really have wasted picks at the top of the draft. Not every pick was a poor one at the time, ...

I agree 100% with your thoughts on the first round selections. We really have wasted picks at the top of the draft. Not every pick was a poor one at the time, but clearly something is not working. We have found some later round gems so I will give the scouting department some credit. But clearly this has to change now. If there ever was a draft where we really need to hit on our 1st round selection... and beyond... this one is it.

As far as Loomis goes, I don't think he is making all of the free agent calls. I'm pretty sure that Payton has a voice, and a rather load one. However, I thought that they have been pretty productive in this area. They have been able to bring in good quality players, and have allowed some players to walk at the right time.

In the Payton era there is no question that the defense has struggled. However we have had our moments. 2009 and the 2011 season where as good as this organization has seen, and the defense made plays, important stops in key situations. Last season was the perfect storm. We lose the leadership of Sean Payton... and Gregg Williams, two areas that have been consistent for three years leading up to that point. I think most pun-dents were praising most of the additions to the defense a year ago.

This is shaping up to be a fork in the road type season for this organization. I think we all still feel like this is a team that has a chance to win a championship. But with the finances what they are, and the core of this team getting older, how much longer does the window stay open? For the most part, I think organization from top to bottom has some areas that they can improve on. But, is in good shape overall.

NYC...

Big, Timely Plays masked a "bend but don't break" defense" and Darren Sharper, an experienced, saavy Free Safety with Leadership on the field does not get the credit he deserved despite the ineptitude of Gregg 'also egg with two g's' Williams...

The Saints FO overpaid on defenders like Will Smith and Roman Harper; stubbornly have ignored mistakes like Jason David, Patrick Robinson; and I'll say this heresy - sometimes you need a "personnel" director who's not a "yes" man to tell Coach Payton who should be drafted/signed...

Big, Timely Plays masked a "bend but don't break" defense" and Darren Sharper, an experienced, saavy Free Safety with Leadership on the field does not get the credit he deserved despite the ineptitude of Gregg 'also egg with two g's' Williams...

The Saints FO overpaid on defenders like Will Smith and Roman Harper; stubbornly have ignored mistakes like Jason David, Patrick Robinson; and I'll say this heresy - sometimes you need a "personnel" director who's not a "yes" man to tell Coach Payton who should be drafted/signed...

Please.....let's see...Steve Smith lines up on your side of the field by himself..you decide you don't need to cover him, let him run free...you decide to help the safety cover the TE.....you're a mistake...

How many blown plays does a guy get before he is held accountable for how crappy he plays throughout the course of an entire season.

Please.....let's see...Steve Smith lines up on your side of the field by himself..you decide you don't need to cover him, let him run free...you decide to help the safety cover the TE.....you're a mistake...

How many blown plays does a guy get before he is held accountable for how crappy he plays throughout the course of an entire season.

There were a few times last year where even Greer had a few busted coverages in the zone; does that make him a mistake as well?

Big, Timely Plays masked a "bend but don't break" defense" and Darren Sharper, an experienced, saavy Free Safety with Leadership on the field does not get the credit he deserved despite the ineptitude of Gregg 'also egg with two g's' Williams...

The Saints FO overpaid on defenders like Will Smith and Roman Harper; stubbornly have ignored mistakes like Jason David, Patrick Robinson; and I'll say this heresy - sometimes you need a "personnel" director who's not a "yes" man to tell Coach Payton who should be drafted/signed...

...because it ain't working...

Jeanpierre,

I think we are on the same page when it comes to what Sharper brought to this team in 09. He was savvy and brought a toughness to the secondary that I don't think we have seen before.

With that said, yes there have been mistakes. Jason David was a horrible signing. We gave up a 4th round pick in the 2007 draft for David. We can go on and on about the draft picks made in the first round. To be honest, I didn't care for Robert Meachem when we made him our first round pick in 07. I really did not care for Patrick Robinson in 10.

But who else really jumps out at you as a player that was given a grossly bad contract through free agency? If anything, Loomis and Payton have had impact classes in free agency... 06 (Brees & Fujita), 08 (Gay & McCrary), 09 (Sharper, Greer, Hargrove, and Heath Evans), 11 (Sproles, Shaun Rogers, and Aubrayo Franklin), 12 (Lofton, Hawthorne, Grubbs and Bunkley).

I think the only disappointing group of free agents that were brought in was the year we won the Super Bowl. We could not sign anyone until we lost a free agent. I think that was the Alex Brown and Jimmy Wilkerson signings.

With all this said, I think the Saints have done a great job of late when it comes down to using free agency to fill holes. The draft... not so much. One of the big reasons I would love to see us trade down this year. I don't trust our front office to make the right moves with our first round pick.

Jolly Good Illustration of the success of the Free Agents;and you do make a great point...

I should have been more specific in my criticism of overpaid contracts in Will Smith, Charles Grant, and Roman Harper; and how those commitments directly kept us from other available free agents that were of a better caliber (upgrade) and would have given the team more flex in signing additional players...

Would disagree with you about Franklin and Rodgers, though Franklin was more of a bad fit and Rodgers' contract should have been even more incentive-based...

But it has been the repeated busts in the higher round draft picks that have handicapped the team...